Follow the lives of Viago, Deacon, and Vladislav - three flatmates who are just trying to get by and overcome life's obstacles - like being immortal vampires who must feast on human blood. Hundreds of years old, the vampires are finding that beyond sunlight catastrophes, hitting the main artery, and not being able to get a sense of their wardrobe without a reflection, modern society has them struggling with the mundane like paying rent, keeping up with the chore wheel, trying to get into nightclubs, and overcoming flatmate conflicts.

Comments

I did not expect to like this one as much as I did! While I would say that the bucket for vampire movies is getting too crowded, I will certainly not fault an entertaining one for this!
The characters are rather quirky and it's shot mockumentary style (like The Office) which might be off-putting for some but you have at least give them credit for going through a variety of jokes here! Oh, and let's not forget Stu! Everyone loves Stu!

7.8/10. Lots of fun here. I really enjoyed the balance of the mundane and the fantastical. Taking something as out there as a bunch of vampires living in modern New Zealand, and balancing it out with the interpersonal dynamics and tone of The Office made for a fantastic combination. What’s more, the special effects were surprisingly good, from the bat-to-bat combat between Deacon and Nick, or their Inception-esque fight in the hallway of the flat.

I also liked that everyone had something to do and a defined personality, which really made this is as much of a character comedy as it was something that got its yuks from the outstanding premise. Viago is a chipper dork and weak-willed romantic, which makes him sympathetic amongst the larger personalities around his home. Making him the erstwhile protagonist of the film was a nice choice that help keep things light and friendly, and giving him a love story, albeit a humorously fractured one, was a nice choice too that let the movie go out on a pleasant note.

Vlad worked well as a self-involved version of Francis Ford Coppola/Gary Oldman’s version of Dracula. Jermaine Clement was nigh unrecognizable and gave a great performance in the film. And the reveal that the infamous “Beast” who was the bête noir of Vlad was actually an ex-girlfriend he’s on bad terms with after a bad break up was a fun reveal.

Deacon was the real engine of the film though, abusing Jackie’s kindnesses and jostling with Nick as he feels the new recruit is taking his spot in the group. He created most of the conflict in the film (short of the amusing rivalry with the werewolves, which he was an instigator of) and even apart from his hilarious erotic dance, that made him and his slacker/napoleon complex character an entertaining and important part of the film.

I also really enjoyed the film’s mix of vampire lore and the prosaic day-to-day of everyday life. Bits like the vampires needing to be invited in to get into dance clubs, or putting newspapers down before harvesting a victim, or marveling at things like youtube and texting were hilarious deconstructions of the whole “immortals in the modern world” conceit.

Overall, it was a fun horror comedy, that derived most of its humor from the combination of its supernatural setup and its plot centered on the quotidian concerns of young men in the city. Much credit goes to the tone of the film, and it’s mockumentary style that helped ground the paranormal material in a funny, sundry day-to-day to sort of vibe. There’s something really fun about examining the little bumps in the road for larger than life figures, and What We Do in the Shadows has that in spades.

This movie is so friggin hysterical. Watched it July 1, night of the FOTC show in SB. I saw this last year but admittedly was a bit tips so I didn't remember much. Now I'll never forget it. Hysterical!!!!

I love the idea. It's so great. It would be the perfect tv show! The actors are awesome. There's gags, gags, gags all over. It's like watching a vampire reality show. And even the saddest moments in this movie are SO funny.